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{{Short description|Town in Saudi Arabia, capital of the first Saudi state and Emirate of Diriyah}}
{{Infobox building
| image            = At-Turaif District of Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.jpg
| logo             = [[file:Diriyah Seal.svg|150px]]
| logo_caption     = [[Wordmark]]
| caption          = Salwa Palace of [[At-Turaif District]]
| name             = Diriyah
| pushpin_map      = Saudi Arabia
| coordinates      = {{coords|24|44|00|N|46|34|32|E}}
| location_town    = [[Riyadh Province]]
| location_country = Saudi Arabia
| architect        =
| client           =
| engineer         =
| website          = [https://www.diriyah.sa/ Official Website]
| construction_start_date =
| completion_date  =
| date_demolished  =
| cost             =
| structural_system =
| style            =
| size             =
| module           = {{Infobox designation list | embed=yes
| designation1           = WHS
| designation1_offname   = [[At-Turaif District]] in ad-Dir'iyah
| designation1_date      = 2010 (34th [[World Heritage Committee|session]])
| designation1_type      = Cultural
| designation1_criteria  = iv, v, vi
| designation1_number    = [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1329 1329]
| designation1_free1name = Region
| designation1_free1value = [[List of World Heritage Sites in the Arab States|the Arab States]]
}}
}}
'''Diriyah'''<ref>Properly Al-Dirʻiyyah following the [[Romanization of Arabic]], but also written as "Al-Diriyah", "Ad-Diriyah", "Ad-Dir'iyah", "Ad-Dar'iyah", or "Dir'aiyah"</ref> ({{langx|ar|الدِرْعِيّة}}, ''ad-Dir‘īyah'', approximate meaning ‘place of armor’<ref>Hans Wehr (edited by J. Milton Cowan): A dictionary of modern written Arabic, ed. 3, Ithaca, N.Y., 1971, Spoken Language Services, Inc.</ref>), formerly [[romanization of Arabic|romanized]] as '''Dereyeh'''<ref>"{{Cite EB9|wstitle=Dereyeh |volume=7 |page=113}}</ref> and '''Dariyya''',<ref name=EoI/> is a [[towns in Saudi Arabia|town]] and [[governorate]] in [[Saudi Arabia]]. Located on the northwestern outskirts of the Saudi capital, [[Riyadh]]. Diriyah was the original home of the [[Al Saud|Saudi royal family]], and served as the capital of the [[Emirate of Diriyah]] under the first Saudi dynasty from 1727 to 1818.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hubbard |first=Ben |date=May 31, 2015 |title=Saudis Turn Birthplace of Wahhabism Ideology Into Tourist Spot |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/01/world/middleeast/saudis-turn-birthplace-of-ideology-into-tourist-spot.html |access-date=March 13, 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Today, the town is the seat of the Diriyah Governorate, which also includes the villages of [[Uyayna]], [[Jubail|Jubayla]], and Al-Ammariyyah, among others—and is part of [[Ar Riyad Province]].
The [[Al-Turaif District|Turaif district]], the first capital of Saudis in Diriyah, was declared a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]] in 2010.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1329 | title=At-Turaif District in ad-Dir'iyah | publisher=[[UNESCO World Heritage Centre]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/site.php?id=1329 | title=Turaif Quarter in Al-Diriyyah | publisher=[[World Heritage Site]] | work=Pictures, info and travel reports }}</ref> The layout of the city itself can be studied in the [[National Museum of Saudi Arabia]] with the help of a large-scale detailed model of the city on display there. Diriyah also hosts the [[Diriyah ePrix]] race for the [[Formula E]] championship.
==Location==
The ruins of the old city of Diriyah lay on either side of the narrow valley known as [[Wadi Hanifa]], which continues southwards through Riyadh and beyond. Consisting almost entirely of mud-brick structures, the ruins are divided into three districts, Ghussaibah, Al-Mulaybeed, and Turaif that are set on top of hills overlooking the [[valley]]. Of the three, Turaif is the highest, and its bottom is easily accessible to tourists by foot. Part of the city wall, running along the edges of the wadi and also made of [[mud brick]]s, are still extant along with some short observation towers.
The modern city is built at a lower altitude at the foot of the hill upon which Turaif is located. To the north of the town, inside the valley, are a number of gardens, [[Palm (plant)|palm]] groves, and small farms and estates. A dam known as Al-Ilb lies further north.
==History==
===During Muhammad's era===
{{Campaignbox Campaigns of Muhammad}}
{{Main|List of battles of Muhammad}}
In Muhammad's time the [[expedition of Muhammad ibn Maslamah]] took place here in [[Muharram]], July 627 CE/6AH.<ref name="archive">Muhammad Yasin Mahzar Siddiqi, [http://islamiccenter.kau.edu.sa/english/journal/issues/Pdf/1/01-MYMSiddiqi_12.pdf Role of Booty in the economy during the prophets time], Vol. 1, King Abdul Aziz University, p. 11. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20110725090417/http://islamiccenter.kau.edu.sa/english/journal/issues/Pdf/1/01-MYMSiddiqi_12.pdf archive])</ref><ref name="hawarey">{{cite book |last=Hawarey |first=Mosab|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vJVqNwAACAAJ&q=9789957051648 |isbn=9789957051648 |title=The Journey of Prophecy; Days of Peace and War (Arabic) |publisher=Islamic Book Trust |year=2010}}Note: Book contains a list of battles of Muhammad in Arabic, English translation available [https://web.archive.org/web/20110726142128/http://military.hawarey.org/military_english.htm here]</ref>
A platoon of thirty Muslims under the leadership of Muhammad bin Maslamah was despatched on a military mission. It headed for the habitation of the Qurata, a sept of the Bakr clan of the [[Banu Kilab]]. The platoon attacked that sept and dispersed them in all directions. The Muslims captured war bounty and returned with the chief of the tribe of [[Banu Hanifa]], called Thumamah Bin Uthal al-Hanafi.<ref name="Mubarakpuri 2005 204">{{citation |title=The Sealed Nectar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-ppPqzawIrIC |first=Saifur Rahman Al |last=Mubarakpuri |year=2005 |publisher=Darussalam Publications |page=204 |isbn=9798694145923 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
===Post 1400===
Although the location is sometimes identified with an ancient settlement mentioned by [[Yaqut al-Hamawi|Yaqut]] and [[Abu Muhammad Al-Hamadani|Al-Hamadani]] known as "Ghabra",<ref>[[Abu Abd al-Rahman Ibn Aqil al-Zahiri]], Opening Article, ''Ad-Diriyah Magazine'', Vol. I, No. 1, May 1988 [http://addiriyah.org/info/index.htm] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070702052154/http://www.addiriyah.org/info/index.htm|date=2007-07-02}}, quoting Muhammad al-Essa. In support of this identification, Ibn Aqil mentions that one of the nearby creeks is still known as "Ghubaira", the diminutive of "Ghabra".</ref> the history of Diriyah proper dates back to the 15th century. According to the chroniclers of [[Nejd]], the city was founded in 1446–47 by [[Mani' ibn Rabi'a al-Muraydi|Mani' Al-Muraydi]] ({{lang|ar|مانع المريدي}}), an ancestor of the Saudi royal family. Mani and his clan had come from the area of [[Al-Qatif]] in eastern Arabia, upon the invitation of Ibn Dir' ({{lang|ar|ابن درع}}), who was then the ruler of a group of settlements that now make up [[Riyadh]]. Ibn Dir' is said to have been a relative of Mani' Al-Mraydi, and Mani's clan is believed to have left the area of Wadi Hanifa at some unknown date and were merely returning to their country of origin.<ref name="EoI">Rentz, G. "al- Dir'iyya (or al-Dariyya)." Encyclopaedia of Islam. Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2007. Brill Online. CDL. 5 November 2007 [http://www.brillonline.nl/subscriber/entry?entry=islam_SIM-1876]{{Dead link|date=November 2019|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref><ref>Al-Juhany, U.M., Najd before the Salafi Reform Movement, Ithaca Press, 2002, {{ISBN|0-86372-401-9}}.</ref>
Initially, Mani' and his clan, known as the [[Mrudah]], settled in Ghusaybah ({{lang|ar|الغصيبة}}) and Al-Mulaybeed ({{lang|ar|المليبيد}}). The entire settlement was named Al-Dir'iyah, after Mani's benefactor Ibn Dir'. Later on, the district of Turaif ({{lang|ar|طُريف}}) was settled.<ref name=EoI/> Many families from other towns or from the Bedouin tribes of the nearby desert eventually settled in the area and by the 18th century Diriyah had become a well-known town in Nejd.
At that time, [[Muhammad ibn Saud]] emerged from a struggle within the ruling family of Al-Diriyah, the [[Al Saud|Al Miqrin]] ({{lang|ar|مقرن}}, sons of Miqrin, a descendant of Mani'), and became the ''emir'', or ruler, of Al-Diriyah. In 1744, Ibn Saud took in a religious scholar named [[Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab]], who hailed from the town of [[Al-Uyaynah]], lying on the same wadi some 30 miles upstream. Ibn Saud agreed to implement al-[[Wahhabi]] religious views, and what later became known as the [[First Saudi State]], with its capital at Diriyah, was born. Within the next several decades, Ibn Saud and his immediate descendants managed to subjugate all of Nejd, as well as the eastern and western regions of Arabia, and sent raids into [[Iraq]]. Diriyah quickly swelled in size and increased in wealth, becoming the largest town in Nejd and a major city in Arabia by the standards of the time. However, the Saudis' conquest of the holy cities of [[Mecca]] and [[Medina]] drew the ire of the [[Ottoman Empire]], the major Islamic power at the time, which led to the [[Ottoman-Saudi War]] of 1811–1818 and an [[Nejd Expedition|invasion of Arabia]] by the Ottoman Empire and [[Egypt]]ian forces. They brought the Saudi state to an end in 1818, with [[Siege of Diriyah|Diriyah capitulating]] after a nearly-year-long siege. The leader of the invading force, [[Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt|Ibrahim Pasha]], ordered the destruction of Diriyah. However, when a member of the local nobility tried to revive the Wahhabi state in Diriyah, Ibrahim ordered his troops to destroy the town even further and set whatever was left of it on fire. When the Saudis revived their fortunes in 1824 and again in 1902, they made their capital further south in [[Riyadh]], which has remained their capital ever since.<ref name="lacey">{{cite book |last=Lacey |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Lacey |title=The Kingdom |url=https://archive.org/details/kingdomlace00lace |url-access=registration |year=1982 |publisher=Harcourt Brace Jovanovich |location=New York |isbn=0-15-147260-2 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/kingdomlace00lace/page/60 60–63]}}</ref>
The [[Ottoman Empire]] viewed the Arab challenge with caution, especially after the loss of Mecca and Medina, and the removal of the Ottoman emperor's name from Friday prayers. An Egyptian army under Ibrahim Pasha was sent to recover lost territory. In 1818 the army entered Diriyah and after a six-month siege penetrated the defences on the [[Turaif]], totally destroyed the houses and cut down every tree in the palm groves. The Egyptians were estimated to have lost 10,000 men in the siege, and the Saudi forces 1,800.<ref>Mostyn, Trevor. "Dir'iya." In: Saudi Arabia: A MEED Practical Guide. Second edition. London: Middle East Economic Digest. 1983. Pages 246-247.</ref>
The town's original inhabitants left Diriyah after 1818, with the bulk of them moving to Riyadh. In ''The Kingdom'' (first published in 1981), British author [[Robert Lacey]] observed that the Al Saud had "left the shell of their old capital behind them, an enduring reminder of the frontiers of the possible" and compared the old Diriyah to "a sand-blown [[Pompeii]]".<ref name="lacey" /> However, the area was resettled in the late 20th century, mostly by former nomads ([[Bedouin]]), and a new city was founded by the Saudi government in the late 1970s.<ref name=Thompson>{{cite book| first=Ionis | last=Thompson | title=Desert Treks from Riyadh | publisher=Stacey International | location=London, UK | date=1994 | pages=6–7 | isbn=0-905743-76-8 }}</ref> This new city of Diriyah grew in size and is now a small but modern town and the seat of [[Diriyah Governorate|its own governorate]]. The ruins remain a tourist attraction and are subject to a slow restoration project on the part of the Saudi government.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}
==Renovations and development plans==
[[File:Diriyah1.jpg|thumb|Heritage preserving: Diriyah Gate Development Authority]]
[[File:Diriyah 8.jpg|thumb|entrance gate to open air museum, January 2024]]
[[File:Diriyah6.jpg|thumb|view towards reconstructed old Diriyah]]
Saudi Arabia has formed the Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA) to oversee the preservation and development of the historic site. Despite [[Destruction of early Islamic heritage sites in Saudi Arabia|Wahhabi destruction of many Islamic, cultural, and historical sites]]<ref name="Britannica">{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |title=Wahhābī (Islamic movement) |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wahhabi |date=9 June 2020 |access-date=1 July 2020 |publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]] |location=[[Edinburgh]] |quote=Because [[Wahhabism|Wahhābism]] prohibits the veneration of shrines, tombs, and sacred objects, many sites associated with the [[early history of Islam]], such as the homes and graves of companions of Muhammad, were demolished under Saudi rule. [[Preservationist]]s have estimated that as many as 95 percent of the historic sites around [[Mecca]] and [[Medina]] have been razed. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200626201633/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wahhabi |archive-date=26 June 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> associated with the [[early history of Islam]] and the first generation of Muslims ([[Ahl al-Bayt|Muhammad's family]] and his [[Sahabah|companions]]),<ref name="Britannica"/> the [[Saudi government]] undertook a large scale renovation of [[Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab]]'s domain, turning it into a major tourist attraction.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/01/world/middleeast/saudis-turn-birthplace-of-ideology-into-tourist-spot.html|title=Saudis Turn Birthplace of Wahhabism Ideology Into Tourist Spot|first=Ben|last=Hubbard|work=The New York Times |date=31 May 2015|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/1034231/saudi-arabia |title=Diriyah on course to become world-class tourist spot |author=Estimo Jr, Rodolfo|date=5 January 2017|work=[[Arab News]]|access-date=21 July 2017}}</ref> In 2018, [[Jerry Inzerillo]], previously the CEO of [[Forbes Travel Guide]], was hired to lead the new authority. In 2019, Inzerillo said that Diriyah would soon be known as "the [[Beverly Hills, California|Beverly Hills]] of Riyadh."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.arabianbusiness.com/travel-hospitality/421161-saudi-arabias-diriyah-to-be-the-beverly-hills-of-riyadh-says-ceo|title=Saudi Arabia's Diriyah to be the 'Beverly Hills' of Riyadh, says CEO|last=Jr|first=Bernd Debusmann|newspaper=Arabian Business|date=29 May 2019 |language=en|access-date=2019-07-12}}</ref>
Among the rebuilt structures are the bath and guest house, the Qasr Nasr, the Saad bin Saud Palace that was finished by the early 1990s, the Burj Faysal that was a wall tower renovated in the 1980s, major sections of the wall surrounding Turaif, and sections of the outer walls and some watchtowers surrounding the wadi. Outside of the Turaif district, on the opposite side of the wadi Hanifa, the region of the mosque of [[Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab]] has been completely remodeled, leaving only some of the more recent original structures standing to the north of the complex build on the site of the historic mosque.
The "Turaif District Development Plan" aims to turn the district into a major national, cultural and touristic center.<ref name=Albenaa208>''"Turaif District Development – Renovating the Local Arabic Architecture" in "Open Ends for the Local Architecture – Contemporary Practices in Saudi Architecture"'' by Mashary A. ALNaim and Tariq M. Abd El Fattah in [http://www.albenaamagazine.com.sa Albenaa Magazine] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090306055601/http://www.albenaamagazine.com.sa/ |date=2009-03-06 }}, issue 208, February 2008 (Safar 1429) {{ISSN|1319-206X}}</ref> Before turning the complete site into a modern [[open-air museum]] documentation and necessary investigations, including excavations especially in places that may need to be remodelled, are planned in three major phases. These will include sites such as:<ref name=Albenaa208 />
* Al-Imam Mohammad bin Saud Mosque and Salwa Palace.
* Ibraheem Ibn Saud Palace and Fahad Ibn Saud Palace.
* Farhan Ibn Saud Palace, Torki Ibn Saud Palace, and Qoo'a Al-Sharia'a (eastern court of Salwa Palace).
Once finished, there will be a new visitors center as well as a documentation center. Four new museums are planned for the district.<ref name=Albenaa208 />
* A museum of war and defense (as this was the site of a major siege in Saudi Arabia).
* A museum of horses.
* A museum of social life.
* A museum of commerce and finance.
Additionally, a Turaif traditional market will add to the open-air museum experience.
[[File:Diriyyah2.JPG|220px|thumb|Old ruins in Diriyah]]
The [[Saudi government]] undertook a large scale renovation of [[Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab]]'s domain, turning it into a major tourist attraction.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/01/world/middleeast/saudis-turn-birthplace-of-ideology-into-tourist-spot.html|title=Saudis Turn Birthplace of Wahhabism Ideology Into Tourist Spot|first=Ben|last=Hubbard|newspaper=The New York Times |date=31 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/1034231/saudi-arabia |title=Diriyah on course to become world-class tourist spot |author=Estimo Jr, Rodolfo|date=5 January 2017|work=[[Arab News]]|access-date=21 July 2017}}</ref>
==Main historic sites==
[[File:사우디 리야드 유적(Old diriyah) - panoramio - 우한길(HK Woo) (3).jpg|thumb|Al-Dirʻiyyah, remains of the central building in Qasr Salwa]]
The old city's historic structures include:<ref name="Thompson"/>
*'''Salwa Palace''' (قصر سلوى) was the residence and first home of the Saʿūdī Amirs and Imāms during the [[First Saudi State]]. It is considered the largest palace on the site, rising four stories high.<ref name="Thompson"/> It is composed of five main parts built at different consecutive periods of time. It was probably finished by [[Saud ibn Abdul Aziz ibn Muhammad ibn Saud]], who was Imam from 1803 to 1814. It is now a museum.
[[File:diriyahpic.jpg|thumb|Sa'ad ibn Saud Palace]]
*'''Sa'ad bin Saʿūd Palace''' popularly known as the Palace of Saad (قصر سعد بن سعود). One of the largest palaces on the site, it is famous for its courtyard, which was used as a stable. The palace was restored in the late 1980s and is several stories high. Sa'd ibn Sā'ud was the son of Imām Abd Allāh bin Saʿūd āl Sāʿūd (d. 1819) and played a prominent role in the battle for the city in 1818.
[[File:قصر سعد الدرعية.jpg|thumb|Al-Dirʻiyyah. The palace of Sa'd ibn Sā'ud (قصر سعد الدرعية) as restored.]]
*'''The Guest House and At-Turaif Bath House'''<ref>''Al-Turaif Bath House and the Guest Palace'', KSA-Deputy Ministry of Antiquities and Museums, 2000, {{ISBN|9960-19-438-8}}</ref> a traditional building consisting of a number of small courtyards surrounded by rooms. The Bath House is famous for its different architectural styles and shows how the building was waterproofed by using different plasters. Both the Guest and Bath Houses were supplied with water from a well in the [[wadi]].
*'''Imām Muḥammad bin Saʿūd Mosque''', a [[mosque]] built first during the reign of Imām [[Mohammad bin Saud]] (1687–1765), perhaps replacing an earlier structure. Imām [[Abdulaziz bin Muhammad Al Saud|Abd al ʿAzīz bin Muḥammad Āl Saʿūd]] was assassinated here while leading [[Asr prayer|Asr Salat]] in November 1803. The building fell into ruins after the invasion of 1818 and the disappearance of the first Saudi state; only part of the structure on eastern side survived to the 1970s and is still preserved. A small mosque was built on the south-west corner of the site some time in the first half of 20th century. Subsequently the location was excavated to reveal the large [[hypostyle]] mosque of the 18th century. The modern mosque was replaced with a traditional building as part of the development under the UNESCO heritage programme.
*'''Al-Bujairi''' (البجيري), one of the districts of the city, directly adjacent to Qasr Salwa on the opposite side of the wadi. It was the religious centre of the historical settlement, surrounded by palm trees. The chief building was mosque of the Shaykh Muḥammad bin ʿAbd al-Wahāb (محمد بن عبد الوهاب), now rebuilt and set in the al-Bujairi Heritage Park.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/1514261/saudi-arabia|title=ThePlace: Al-Bujairi district in Saudi Arabia's historic Ad Diriyah|date=2019-06-21|website=Arab News|language=en|access-date=2019-07-01}}</ref> Shaykh [[Mohammad ibn Abdulwahab]] used to give lessons about his reformed movement of [[Islam]] in this mosque.<ref>Rodolfo C. Estimo, Jr. ''Diriyah: A glimpse into bygone era'' [[Arab News]]: Wednesday, January 30, 2013. Vol. XXXVIII, no. 59.</ref> It became a centre for religious education. Students used to travel to it from all parts of the [[Arabian Peninsula]].
*'''Ghasiba''' (غصيبة), a walled historic site and on the edge of Wadi Hanifah, is to the north of old Dir'iyyah and is thought to date back to the 17th century CE.
==Other notable buildings==
*'''Qasr al-'Ujā''' (قصر العوجا) is a large Saudi royal palace erected adjacent to the old city on the south bank of Wadi Hanifa.
*'''The mosque of al-Zawiharah''' (مسجد الظويهرة) is located in the al-Bujairi Heritage Park and is an old traditional building, restored and reopened in 2014.<ref>For a photographs see الدرعية التاريخية. (2022). ٱلْمَمْلَكَة ٱلْعَرَبِيَّة ٱلسُّعُوْدِيَّة. الدِرْعِيّة. في حي السهل البجيري. مسجد الظويهر. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6967317.</ref> It is notable for the underground chamber or [[Khalwa (Sufism)|''khālwa'']], a feature encountered in the older mosques in the Najd region.<ref>Muhammad Abb al-Qawi," مَسْجدُ الظويْهِرَةِ بِالدِّرْعِيَّة نمـوذج للمسـاجد التقـليدية ذات الخلوة " Arab archaeology unit, Conference, vol. 8 (October 2013).</ref>
*'''The mosque of al-Sarikhah''' (مسجد السريحة) is a modern building made in the traditional central Arabian style. It is located on the west side of the al-Bujairi Heritage Park.
*'''The mosque of Nakhil al-'Dhibah''' (مسجد نخيل العذيبة) is located a short distance to the west of the old city, in the farm of Sultan Bin Salman. It is built in the traditional central Arabian style.
==Museums==
A number of the palaces in the old city have been restored and are used as museums.
*'''Museum of Bygone Days''' (متحف السنين الماضية) is located north of al-Bujairi and houses a collection reflecting everyday life in central Arabia in the early and middle twentieth century.
==Public facilities and centres==
*'''Al-Maarefa University''' (جامعة المعرفة), is an educational institution to the north of the old city in Al Khalidiyah suburb of Riyadh.
[[File:AlMaarefa Colleges Outdoor 4.JPG|thumb|Al-Dirʻiyyah, Al Maarefa University]]
*'''Mosim Park''', Football ground in the Nakheel area. It is home to football team Mosim FC, who are called The Pride of Dir'iyah. Mosim Park was erected in 2007 after Mosim FC moved there from their old ground downtown of Riyadh.
*'''Diriyah Arena''' opened in 2019 is a sporting venue with a capacity of 15,000 seats.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://arenagroup.com/project/diriyah-arena/| website=arenagroup.com| title=Diriyah Arena| date=9 January 2020| access-date=18 August 2022| archive-date=30 May 2023| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530215759/https://arenagroup.com/project/diriyah-arena/| url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Climate==
In Diriyah the summers are long, sweltering, and arid, and the winters are cool and dry. Diriyah has a [[hot desert climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''BWh'').
{{Weather box|location = Diriyah
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|Jan high C = 19.9
|Feb high C = 22.9
|Mar high C = 27.8
|Apr high C = 32.1
|May high C = 38.3
|Jun high C = 41.4
|Jul high C = 42.4
|Aug high C = 41.9
|Sep high C = 39.7
|Oct high C = 34.2
|Nov high C = 26.9
|Dec high C = 21.6
|Feb low C = 7.9
|Jan low C = 9.9
|Mar low C = 13.9
|Apr low C = 18.2
|May low C = 23.3
|Jun low C = 25.3
|Jul low C = 26.6
|Aug low C = 22.7
|Sep low C = 23.2
|Oct low C = 18.2
|Nov low C = 13.5
|Dec low C = 9.0
|Jan precipitation mm = 17
|Feb precipitation mm = 7
|Mar precipitation mm = 31
|Apr precipitation mm = 31
|May precipitation mm = 11
|Jun precipitation mm = 0
|Jul precipitation mm = 0
|Aug precipitation mm = 0
|Sep precipitation mm = 0
|Oct precipitation mm = 2
|Nov precipitation mm = 8
|Dec precipitation mm = 13
|year precipitation mm= 120
|source = [https://en.climate-data.org/location/32851/ Climate-data.org]
|date=05 March 2018}}
==Gallery==
<gallery>
file:قصر سلوى.jpg|Salwa Palace for the outside
file:Salwa Palace in Diriyah.png|Salwa Palace
file:Al-Turaif Mosque in Diriyah.png|Al-Turaif Mosque
file:Arda House in Diriyah.png|Arda House
file:Traditional Door Deisgn in Diriyah.png|Traditional wooden door
file:Diriyah Gallery 2023.png|Costume of [[Abdullah bin Saud Al Saud|Imam Abdullah bin Saud]] displayed in Diriyah Galley
file:Trade and Treasury Gallery in Diriyah.png|Trade and Treasury Gallery
</gallery>
==See also==
{{Portal|Saudi Arabia}}
*[[Siege of Diriyah]]
*[[Diriyah ePrix]]
*[[List of expeditions of Muhammad|List of battles of Muhammad]]
*[[List of cities and towns in Saudi Arabia]]
==References==
{{reflist|20em}}
==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060831162704/http://www.addiriyah.org.sa/ Photo gallery] on [[Archive.org]] {{in lang|ar}}
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{{Riyadh Province}}
{{Saudi cities}}
{{World Heritage Sites in Saudi Arabia}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1446 establishments in Asia]]
[[Category:1440s in the Middle East]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 1440s]]
[[Category:Populated places in Riyadh Province]]
[[Category:Geography of Riyadh]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Saudi Arabia]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Riyadh]]
[[Category:Razed cities]]
[[Category:Ottoman Arabia]]
[[Category:History of Najd]]
[[Category:Arabic architecture]]
[[Category:Diriyah| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Saudi Arabia]]